Base-ball mitt.



N6. 672,89l. Patented Apr. 30, 190|.- J. F. DRAPER.'

BASE BALL MITT.

(Application lled. Nov. 26, 1900.1 (im nodal.)

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- side of the mitt.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JASON F. DRAPER, OF ASHLAND, NEW HAMPSHIRE.

BAS E-BALL M ITT.

SPECIFICATION forming part 0f Letters Patent N0. 672,891, dated April 30, 1901. Application filed November 26, 1900. Serial lNo. 37,726. (No model.)

To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, JASON F. DRAPER, of Ashland, in the county of Grafton and State of New Hampshire, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Base-Ball Mitts, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to base-ball mitts; and its main object is to reinforce and protect the portion of the mitt adjacent to the cleft between the palm and thumb portions.

The invention consists in the novel features of construction and arrangement which Ishall now proceed to describe andclaim.

Of the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents a front elevation of a mitt constructed in accordance with my invention.

Fig. 2 represents a section through the mitt between the palm'and thumb portions, taken in the plane of the mitt. Fig. 3 represents a section on line 3 3 of Fig. v2. Fig. 4 represents a separate view of the protecting layer. Fig. 5 represents a front elevation showing a modification. Fig. 6 represents a transverse section thereof.

The 'same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

Referring to the drawings, 1 represents a mitt having a palm portion 2and a thumb portion 3 and a cleft 4 between said palm and thumb portions. The walls of the mitt are constructed and united in the usual manner, 5 being the front cover orwall, 6 the back cover, and 7 the edge cover or wall united to said front and back covers by stitched seams 8 9. Thel body of the mitt contains the usual soft filling or stuffing. That portion of the edge wall which covers the inner side of the palm and thumb portions 2 3 constitutes the side walls of the cleft 4, and in the mitt which I have illustrated the said palm and thumb portions are connected across their ends by means of a strap 10 in order to form a recess or cavity for the retention of the ball, said portions being further united within the cleft by means of two iaps 11 11 of material united along their front edges to the Walls of theA mitt along the sides of the cleft at the front The same line of stitching which unites the front cover 5 to the edge cover 7 is shown as uniting the flaps 11 to the wall of the mitt. The flaps 11 are united to eac'h other at intervals by means of rivets 12 12. After continued use of the mitt the impact of the ball will often break or rip the seam 8, uniting the front wall or cover 5 to the edge Wall or cover 7 and uniting the fiaps 11 to the walls of the mitt.

13 in Figs. 1 to 4, inclusive, represents a reinforcing layer united by a line of stitching 14 around its edge to the front cover 5 and covering a substantial portion of the front ot' the mitt. This reinforcing layer when separate from the mitt has substantially the form represented in Fig. 4 and its edges l5 15 are extended into the cleft 4, so as. to cover and protect the'seam 8. The ball in landing on the mitt strikes the reinforcing layer 13 and the latter resist-s by its tensile strength the impact of the blow. Besides covering over the seam 8 and preventing the ball from striking and ripping said seam the layer 13 acts as a reinforcement for thewhole of the portion of the mitt covered by it, and, furthermore, im parts an improved iinish and appearance to the mitt in the vicinity of the cleft 4. I preferably unite the edges of the layer 13 to the flaps 11 11 within thecleft, and thereby to the walls of the cleft, this being accomplished, as shown in the drawings, by including the edges of the layer 13 between said flaps and passing the rivets 12 through both the flaps and the edges of the reinforcing layer, the whole being thereby united together.

' In Figs. 5 and 6 I showa reinforcing layer 16, united to the front cover 5, close to the sides of the cleft 4, by a stitched seam 17, the said layer 16 being turned or doubled over at the seam and extended into the cleft and united to the Walls thereof in the manner hereinbefore described. In this way the layer 16 is caused to cover over and protect the stitched seam 8, but does not extend over any substantial portion of the front of the mitt.

I claim- 1. A base-ball mitt having palm and thumb portions separated by a cleft, a front wall or cover and an edge wall or cover united by a seam extending along the sides of the cleft on the front side of the mitt, and a seam-protecting layer overlying and secured to the front cover and extending over said seam into the cleft.

2. A base-ball mitt having palm and thumb portions separated by a cleft, a front wall or IOO cover and an edge wall or cover united by a seam extending along the sides of the cleft on the front side of the mitt, a seam-protecting layer overlying and secured to the front cover and extending over said seam into the cleft, and means within said cleft securing said layer to the walls of the cleft.

3. A base-ball mitt having palm and thumb portions separated by a cleft, a front cover, a pair of flaps connecting the palm and thumb portions and united thereto by seams extending along the sides of the cleft on the front side of the mitt, and a seam-protecting layer overlying and secured to the front cover and extending over said seams into the cleft.

4. A base-ball mitt having palm and thumb portions separated by a cleft, a front cover, a pair of laps connecting the palm and thumb portions and united thereto by seams extending along the sides of the cleft on the front side of the mitt, a seam-protecting layer over-v lying and secured to the front cover and extending over said seams into the cleft, and means uniting said aps together and to said layer.

5. A base-ball mitt having palm and thumb portions separated by a cleft, a front cover, a pair of flaps connecting the palm and thumb portions and united thereto by seams extending along the sides of the cleft on the front side of the mitt, a seam-protecting layer overlying and secured to the front cover and extending over said seams, its edges being included between said aps within the cleft, and fastening means passed through said ilaps and edges and uniting the whole together.

6. A base-ball mitt having palm and thumb portions separated by a cleft, a front wall or cover and an edge Wall or cover united by a seam extending along the sides of the cleft on the front side of the mitt, a pair of flaps secured to said palm and thumb portions, a seam-protecting layer overlying and secured to the front covel` and extending over said seam, its edges being included between said flaps within the cleft, and fastening means passed through said flaps and edges'and uniting the whole together.

In testimony whereof I have axed my signature in presence of two witnesses.

JASON F. DRAPER.

Witnesses:

MARCUS 13. MA'Y, H. L. ROBBINs. 

